Ramanayake backs attack with Lakmal set to return

ESPNcricinfo: Sri Lanka fast bowling Coach Champaka Ramanayake has described the tour-ending injury to Dushmantha Chameera as a “big blow”, but said the attack’s experience would nevertheless pose a substantial threat to England when the second Test gets underway in Chester-le-Street.

Suranga Lakmal, who has played 26 Tests – including three in England – will likely replace Chameera in the XI. Lakmal was one of Sri Lanka’s first-choice seamers in 2014, before the emergence of Chameera and the re-emergence of Dhammika Prasad saw them picked above him. With both those bowlers out of contention now, Lakmal is set to rejoin the Test side.

“Chameera’s the fastest bowler of the group, so of course it’s a blow,” Ramanayake said. “But here, because the wickets are helping the seamers even the others will be good. Chameera has been our impact bowler, but sometimes you do get stress reactions once in a way. You can’t help it. But the other bowlers can deliver. Suranga is bowling really well in the nets and is an experienced guy, so he will fill up that role.”

Ramanayake said he was pleased with the performances of Nuwan Pradeep and Shaminda Eranga at Headingley, despite their having taken 2 wickets for 124 runs between them. All three seamers – including Lakmal – are now on their second Test tour of England.

“Suranga, Eranga and Pradeep are quite different bowlers, but they can all move the ball in these conditions,” Ramanayake said. “They are good on line and length. Hopefully one of them comes up with a very good performance – like taking five wickets. All are the same age and have matured together. That experience helps because you don’t get rattled when you get hit for boundaries – if you can always come back and bowl a good spell.

“Pradeep is a seamer, and is quite good with the semi-new ball and the old ball. He is very good against left-handers as well. Suranga and Eranga are very good with the new ball and both swing it. They bowl outswing to right-handers. These three are quite experienced, having played more than 20 Tests.”

The frontliners were aided in Leeds by Angelo Mathews as usual, but also by newcomer Dasun Shanaka, who claimed three wickets in his first three overs of Test cricket. Ramanayake said that although Shanaka is presently in the team as a batsman who bowls a little, that may not always be the case.

“When you come to a seamer-friendly wicket, it’s a bonus to have a bowler like Dasun,” Ramanayake said. “He picks up wickets also. I think he can be a genuine allrounder definitely. At the moment he is a batsman more than a bowler, but his bowling is improving every day. He works very hard on both disciplines and can seam the ball off the pitch both ways.”

Ramanayake said his attack would “have to find another solution” for dismissing the tail quickly - a job Chameera had largely performed over the past year. Although Chameera may take up to four months to recover from his injury, Ramanayake was confident the bowler would be just as effective when he eventually returns.

“It’s a stress reaction in his back actually – an early stage injury. It’s close to a fracture, but he will be ok. It might take more than three months for him to come back, probably. But there’s nothing we can do about it apart from giving him time.

“He’s new to the cricket scene. In your early twenties you will get stress problems, then it will settle. They work hard in the gym, but sometimes you still get issues, and that happens to fast bowlers around the world.”